Persuasive Legal Writing
Transform your legal writing to make a powerful impact on judges and mediators.
About Daniel U. Smith
With over 40 years of specializing in civil appeals, Daniel U. Smith brings unparalleled expertise to teaching persuasive legal writing and consulting on appellate briefs and strategy.
- Persuasive Writing Consultant Since 1995
- Certified Appellate Specialist (ret.)
- 19 Appearances in California Supreme Court
- Admitted to Practice: U.S. Supreme Court; California Supreme Court; Illinois Supreme Court
- CAOC Amicus Curiae Committee Member (ret.)
- Judicial Council Civil Jury Instructions Committee that Issued in 2003 the New CACI Instructions
- A.B. Princeton 1965
- J.D. Berkeley Law School 1968
- Executive Editor, California Law Review 1967-1968
- Clerk, Hon. Alfonso J. Zirpoli, USDC (N. Cal) 1968-1969
- Member, California Association of Appellate Lawyers 1980-2024
- Founder, Law Office of Daniel U. Smith 1983-2017 (ret.)
Teaching and Consulting
Training in Persuasive Legal Writing. Consulting on Brief Writing and Appellate Strategy.
Group Training in Persuasive Legal Writing
Group training (in person or on Zoom) is suitable for multiple participants from one law firm or bar association.
The first hour is devoted to empathy for the reader and the importance of clarity based on brevity, simplicity, continuity (a clear train of thought), and specificity (precise naming of key details). Examples and exercises drive home these
points.
The second hour is devoted to the writing and editing skills to produce a document with clear headings, paragraphs, and sentences that embody brevity, simplicity, continuity, and specificity. Examples and exercises demonstrate how participants can write and edit to create the clarity that judges seek in legal writing.
Individual Training in Persuasive Legal Writing
Individual training is offered in eight one-hour sessions via Zoom. The first four hours are
devoted to the persuasive writing principles in the manual, “Persuasive Legal Writing.”
The second four hours are devoted to editing legal documents prepared by the student and by other lawyers or judges to manifest the four components of clarity: brevity, simplicity, continuity, and specificity.
Consulting on Appellate Strategy
Mr. Smith offers clients the benefits of his 40 years specializing in civil appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the California Supreme Court, and California’s Courts of Appeals. His consulting services address strategies for post-trial motions, notice of appeal and cross-appeal, designation of record, briefs, oral argument, and mediation to achieve the strongest position for the lawyer’s client.
Because Mr. Smith is retired, he does not offer legal advice and is not responsible for the ultimate content of any filing or for compliance with procedural rules and deadlines.
Consulting on Your Appellate Brief
Mr. Smith consults on the organization and editing of your brief. On organization, Mr. Smith will assist you in sequencing the sections of your brief in the order most likely to answer the judge’s questions as they arise.
On editing, Mr. Smith will conform your draft’s headings, paragraphs, and sentences to the four persuasive writing principles advocated in “Persuasive Legal Writing”--brevity, simplicity, continuity, and specificity.